Cowboy roofer who ran over and killed woman on golf course jailed - as video shows police chase

A rogue roofer who ran over a mother-of-three on a golf course during a police chase has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years for causing her death.

John McDonald, 52, admitted to causing the death by dangerous driving after 62-year-old Suzanne Cherry was hit by a van that was being followed by police.

Ms Cherry had been playing golf with her husband, Clint Harrison, at Aston Wood Golf Club in Shenstone, Staffordshire, when the incident took place on 11 April last year.

Handing sentence, judge James Burbidge said McDonald's actions were "wicked in the extreme," and that "it is clear that you did attempt to brake, but you had insufficient time to avoid her".

"Clint Harrison saw you [and co-defendants Johnny McDonald, 23, and Brett Delaney, 35] run away from the vehicle," the judge added. "He says the person who stepped out of the driving seat actually stepped over Sue.

"He says he saw, in a split second, the driver stutter and look back, but you didn't stop, John, you sought to save your own skin.

"Even if you did something to avoid the collision, it was too little, too late."

'Everybody loved her'

Speaking after sentence was handed down, Mr Harrison paid tribute to her as an "inspiration".

He said: "You really don't want to know what I think about the sentence. I have got no thoughts about them at all. I won't give them any head space."

He then added: "Everybody loved her. She was an inspiration. All the young ladies wanted to be like Suzanne Cherry because of what she achieved in her life.

"A company owner, advanced motorcyclist, cyclist, scuba diver, and anything else she could jump off or dive off."

Mr Harrison previously said, shortly after her death, that Ms Cherry would be "painfully missed" by her family and friends.

"While enjoying what should have been the safest of one of Suzanne's many activities, I watched in helpless horror as the life of my beautiful wife and our future together was snatched away in an instant," he said.

Read more:
Ex-soldier jailed for police station petrol bomb attack
Family's shock over teen's death in Iran

Co-defendants jailed for conspiracy to commit fraud

Brett Delaney, 35, and Johnny McDonald, John McDonald's son, 23, were not held responsible for the collision, but the pair - along with the senior McDonald - admitted to conspiracy to commit fraud on Monday.

The court heard that the trio made false representations that roofing work was needed when it was not, between 17 February and 12 April last year.

All three admitted to the charge in relation to poor roofing work carried out under the guise of a company called Approved Roofs Ltd in the West Midlands.

Judge Burbidge said on Tuesday that all three had decided they would dishonestly take money from elderly victims by targeting them for roof repairs.

He told the defendants: "Those you sought out were easy targets because they were vulnerable and trusting individuals, as the elderly often are, and want to see the good in people - unlike you.

"John and Johnny, you worked together using the name of Approved Roofs, but it is not clear what, if any, skills you had for that line of work. The evidence suggests none."

For conspiracy to commit fraud, the younger McDonald was sentenced to 32 months in prison imprisonment and Delaney to 28 months, with time served reduced from their sentence.

(c) Sky News 2026: Cowboy roofer who ran over and killed woman on golf course jailed - as video shows police chase<